Partial Order of the Quasiliquid During Surface Melting of Al(110)

Abstract

Polarization-dependent surface-extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure measurements have been performed on Al(110) and Al(111) at temperatures from 100 K up to the melting point $(T_m=933.5\mathrm{}\mathrm{K})$. Surface melting has been observed on Al(110) above about 800 K by analyzing the Debye-Waller factor which is anisotropic at these temperatures. It is shown that the residual order of the quasiliquid during surface melting consists of intact $\left[1\overline{1}0\right]$ rows or segments of them which have liquidlike mobilities.